Topper for distributing concentrated load

ABSTRACT

A topper placed on a bed or a mattress, for distributing a load, includes a top cover forming a top of the topper, an upper memory foam provided under the top cover, at least one cushioning member provided under the upper memory foam and configured to distribute a load transmitted through the upper memory foam, a lower memory foam provided under the cushioning member, as a component corresponding to the upper memory foam, and a bottom cover provided under the lower memory foam, manufactured as a component corresponding to the top cover, and configured to support the cushioning member.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0047706, filed on Apr. 13, 2021, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

The disclosure relates to a topper placed on a bed or mattress, and more particularly, to a topper for distributing a concentrated load, which distributes and relieves an applied load as a whole.

2. Description of Related Art

To give a more comfortable feeling to a user of a mattress, the use of a topper placed on the mattress has been increased. Typically, the topper includes memory foam so that it may sag and restore its original shape according to a user's body shape.

Memory foam is specially processed in the form of foam with higher elasticity than urethane. The memory foam has viscoelasticity by adding viscosity to elasticity. Although the memory foam sags and then is restored, the restoration is slow.

When a user lies on a topper made of one layer of memory foam, the topper may be too hard or excessively sag depending on the physical properties of the memory foam. Therefore, a body pressure may not be distributed sufficiently.

Moreover, because of its sensitivity to temperature, memory foam is not easy to manage and maintain. Without appropriate management and maintenance, the memory foam may have a short lifetime.

Particularly, in view of the nature of memory foam, an easily replaceable topper is increasingly used instead of mattresses hard to replace. Memory foam may be classified into latex formed of rubber and memory foam in a narrow sense, formed of a chemical material. While latex supports a user's body with its own elasticity, it is not suitable for use as a mattress because it is weak to heat and light and has low air permeability.

Memory foam is specially processed in the form of foam with higher elasticity than urethane. The memory foam has viscoelasticity by adding viscosity to elasticity. Although the memory foam sags and then is restored, the restoration is slow.

When the user lies on a mattress assembly including a topper made of one layer of memory foam, the mattress assembly may have various problems such as high hardness or excessive sagging depending on the physical properties of the mattress assembly.

SUMMARY

Provided is a topper for distributing a concentrated load, which has a function of distributing and relieving a local concentrated load on the topper as a whole.

Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments of the disclosure.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a topper placed on a bed or a mattress, for distributing a load, includes a top cover forming a top of the topper, an upper memory foam provided under the top cover, at least one cushioning member provided under the upper memory foam and configured to distribute a load transmitted through the upper memory foam, a lower memory foam provided under the cushioning member, as a component corresponding to the upper memory foam, and a bottom cover provided under the lower memory foam, manufactured as a component corresponding to the top cover, and configured to support the cushioning member.

Additionally, the at least one cushioning member may be manufactured in a specified size to be a stack of two layers of micro springs to distribute a concentrated load.

Additionally, the at least one cushioning member may be manufactured in a specified size to be a stack of three layers of micro springs to distribute a concentrated load.

Additionally, each of the top cover and the bottom cover may be made of a fabric, Cashmilon, and a non-woven fabric in a specified thickness.

Additionally, the topper may further include a lower sponge provided between the bottom cover and the lower memory foam and configured to absorb an impact.

Additionally, the topper may further include an upper sponge provided between the top cover and the upper memory foam and configured to absorb an impact.

Additionally, the upper memory foam may be 10 mm thick.

Additionally, the lower memory foam may be 10 mm thick.

Additionally, the upper memory foam may be 15 mm thick.

Additionally, the lower memory foam may be 15 mm thick.

Additionally, each of the top cover and the bottom cover may be 8 mm thick.

Additionally, the cushioning member may be 25 mm thick.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the disclosure will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an embodiment of a topper for distributing a concentrated load according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating another embodiment of a topper for distributing a concentrated load according to an embodiment of the disclosure; and

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating another embodiment of a topper for distributing a concentrated load according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the disclosure will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art may easily carry out the disclosure. However, since the description of the disclosure is merely an embodiment for structural or functional description, the scope of the disclosure should not be construed as being limited by the embodiments described herein. That is, since many modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments, it should be understood that the scope of the disclosure includes equivalents that implement the technical idea. Additionally, since the objects or effects presented in the disclosure do not mean that a specific embodiment should include all of them or only such effects, it should not be understood that the scope of the disclosure is limited thereby.

The term as used in the disclosure should be understood as follows.

The term “1^(st)”, “2^(nd)”, “first” or “second’ are used to distinguish one component from another component, not limiting the scope of the disclosure. For example, a first component may be referred to as a second component and vice versa.

As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more associated items. When it is said that a component is “connected” to another component, the component may be directly connected to the other component or another component may exist in between. However, when it is said that a certain component is “directly connected” to another component, it should be understood that a third component does not exist in the middle. Other expressions describing the relationship between components, that is, “between” and “directly between” or “neighboring to” and “directly adjacent to” should be interpreted similarly.

Unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, it is to be understood that singular forms include plural referents. Terms such as “include” or “have” are intended to indicate that a specified feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or a combination thereof exists, without precluding the possibility of the existence or addition of one or more other features or numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Unless defined differently, all terms used herein have the same meaning as that understood by a person skilled in the art to which the disclosure belongs. Such terms as those defined in a generally used dictionary are to be interpreted to have the meanings equal to the contextual meanings in the relevant field of art. Unless otherwise defined, the terms should not be interpreted as ideally or excessively formal meanings.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an embodiment of a topper for distributing a concentrated load according to an embodiment of the disclosure, FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating another embodiment of a topper for distributing a concentrated load according to an embodiment of the disclosure, and FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating another embodiment of a topper for distributing a concentrated load according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a topper 10 for distributing a load, which is placed on a bed or mattress according to the disclosure may include a top cover 100, an upper memory foam 200, a cushioning member 300, a lower memory foam 40, and a bottom cover 500.

The top cover 100 may form the top of the topper 10. The upper memory foam 200 may be provided under the top cover 100. The upper memory foam 200 may be 10 mm thick.

The upper memory foam 200 may be 15 mm thick. Specifically, when a lower sponge 510 is provided in the topper 10, the upper memory foam 200 may be 15 mm thick.

At least one cushioning member 300 may be provided. The cushioning member 300 may be provided under the upper memory foam 200 to distribute a load transmitted through the upper memory foam 200.

The cushioning member 300 may be manufactured in a specified size and may be a stack of two layers of micro springs that distribute a concentrated load. The cushioning member 300 may be manufactured in a specified size and may be a stack of three layers of micro springs that distribute a concentrated load. The thickness of the cushioning member 300 may be 25 mm.

Specifically, the cushioning member 300 may be manufactured with springs in a thickness of 25 mm, and may distribute and absorb a load through its material as well as the springs. As many cushioning members 300 as needed may be provided. That is, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, one, two, or three cushioning members 300 may be stacked to absorb, distribute, and relieve a concentrated load more efficiently and effectively.

In addition, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, when a plurality of cushioning members 300, a plurality of upper and lower memory foams 200 and 400, a plurality of upper and lower sponges 110 and 510 are provided, the topper 10 may be manufactured to be a multi-fold topper, for example, a 3-fold topper. As a result, the topper may be easy to carry, have a reduced volume, and thus easy to keep.

The topper 10 for distributing a concentrated load according to an embodiment of the disclosure may further include the lower sponge 510 and the upper sponge 110.

The lower sponge 510 may be provided between the bottom cover 500 and the lower memory foam 400 to absorb an impact.

The upper sponge 110 may be provided between the top cover 100 and the upper memory foam 200 to absorb an impact. Specifically, the upper sponge 110 may be paired with the lower sponge 510 to more effectively distribute a concentrated load acting on the topper 10 over the entire area.

The lower memory foam 400, which is a component corresponding to the upper memory foam 200, may be provided under the cushioning member 300.

The lower memory foam 400 may have a thickness of 10 mm. The lower memory foam 400 may have a thickness of 15 mm. Specifically, when the upper sponge 110 and the lower sponge 510 are provided in the topper 10, the upper memory foam 200 may have a thickness of 15 mm.

The bottom cover 500, which is a component corresponding to the top cover 100, may be provided under the lower memory foam 400 and support the cushioning member 300.

The top cover 100 and the bottom cover 500 may be manufactured of a fabric, Cashmilon, and a non-woven fabric in a specified thickness. Specifically, the fabric is mainly a silicone fabric or an aqua fabric. As long as it is a material that may provide a feeling of coolness in summer, any fabric may be used. However, the fabric may include at least one of a circular cross-section polyester fiber, a non-uniform cross-section polyester fiber, or a natural yarn fiber. This is because the circular cross-section polyester fiber, the non-uniform cross-section polyester fiber, or the natural yarn fiber has high absorbency and dryness, thereby providing excellent comfort.

The thickness of each of the top cover 100 and the bottom cover 500 may be 8 mm.

Further, the disclosure may further include a topper cover (not shown) to protect the topper 10 while surrounding the entire topper 10. The topper cover may protect the topper 10 from external contamination, while enveloping the entire exterior of the topper 10. The topper cover may have a zipper or Velcro fastener in a part thereof, so that the topper 10 is accommodated or discharged through the zipper or Velcro fastener.

The topper 10 according to embodiments of the disclosure may be formed in various structures or shapes according to a situation or needs by appropriately arranging the top cover 100, the upper sponge 110, the upper memory foam 200, the cushioning member 300, the lower memory foam 400, the bottom cover 500, and the lower sponge 510 in specified quantities.

Specifically, the topper 10 may be manufactured in the categories of a level-1 standard type, a level-2 high-end type, or a level-3 premium type according to the number and internal arrangement structure of members described above.

The level-1 standard type has a structure in which the top cover 100 and the bottom cover 500 are placed in upper and lower parts of the topper 10, respectively, the upper and lower memory foams 200 and 400 are placed under the top cover 100 and on the bottom cover 500, respectively, and one cushioning member 300 is disposed between the upper and lower memory foams 200 and 400 (see FIG. 1).

The level-2 high-end type has a structure in which the top cover 100 and the bottom cover 500 are placed in the upper and lower parts of the topper 10, respectively, the lower sponge 510 is placed on the bottom cover 500, the upper and lower memory foams 200 and 400 are placed under the top cover 100 and on the lower sponge 510, respectively, and two cushioning members 300 are disposed between the upper and lower memory foams 200 and 400 (see FIG. 2).

The level-3 premium type has a structure in which the top cover 100 and the bottom cover 500 are placed in the upper and lower parts of the topper 10, respectively, the upper and lower sponges 110 and 510 are placed under the top cover 100 and on the bottom cover 500, respectively, the upper and lower memory foams 200 and 400 are placed under the upper sponge 110 and on the lower sponge 510, respectively, and three cushioning members 300 are disposed between the upper and lower memory foams 200 and 400 (see FIG. 3).

The above-described various types of toppers 10 are available according to a surrounding situation or a user's preference.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a concentrated load acting locally on the topper 10 may be distributed or relieved across the entire topper 10 by relieving or absorbing the concentrated load through the cushioning member 300, the upper and lower memory foams 200 and 400, and the upper and lower sponges 110 and 510.

The detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the disclosure as described above is provided to enable those skilled in the art to implement and practice the disclosure. Although the above description is given with reference to preferred embodiments of the disclosure, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made to the disclosure without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For example, those skilled in the art may use the configurations described in the foregoing embodiments in combination. Accordingly, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but to give the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

The disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit and essential features of the disclosure. Accordingly, the above detailed description should not be construed as restrictive in all respects but as exemplary. The scope of the disclosure should be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all modifications within the equivalent scope of the disclosure fall within the scope of the disclosure. In addition, claims that are not explicitly cited in the claims may be combined to form an embodiment, or may be included as new claims by amendment after filing. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A topper placed on a bed or a mattress, for distributing a load, the topper comprising: a top cover forming a top of the topper; an upper memory foam provided under the top cover; at least one cushioning member provided under the upper memory foam and configured to distribute a load transmitted through the upper memory foam; a lower memory foam provided under the cushioning member, as a component corresponding to the upper memory foam; and a bottom cover provided under the lower memory foam, manufactured as a component corresponding to the top cover, and configured to support the cushioning member.
 2. The topper according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cushioning member is manufactured in a specified size to be a stack of two layers of micro springs to distribute a concentrated load.
 3. The topper according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cushioning member is manufactured in a specified size to be a stack of three layers of micro springs to distribute a concentrated load.
 4. The topper according to claim 1, wherein each of the top cover and the bottom cover is made of a fabric, Cashmilon, and a non-woven fabric in a specified thickness.
 5. The topper according to claim 2, further comprising a lower sponge provided between the bottom cover and the lower memory foam and configured to absorb an impact.
 6. The topper according to claim 5, further comprising an upper sponge provided between the top cover and the upper memory foam and configured to absorb an impact.
 7. The topper according to claim 1, wherein the upper memory foam is 10 mm thick.
 8. The topper according to claim 1, wherein the lower memory foam is 10 mm thick.
 9. The topper according to claim 5, wherein the upper memory foam is 15 mm thick.
 10. The topper according to claim 6, wherein the lower memory foam is 15 mm thick.
 11. The topper according to claim 1, wherein each of the top cover and the bottom cover is 8 mm thick.
 12. The topper according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning member is 25 mm thick.
 13. The topper according to claim 3, further comprising a lower sponge provided between the bottom cover and the lower memory foam and configured to absorb an impact.
 14. The topper according to claim 13, further comprising an upper sponge provided between the top cover and the upper memory foam and configured to absorb an impact.
 15. The topper according to claim 13, wherein the upper memory foam is 15 mm thick.
 16. The topper according to claim 14, wherein the lower memory foam is 15 mm thick. 